Macdonald threatens to join exodus from London

Thursday 19 February 2004 06.24 EST
First published on Thursday 19 February 2004 06.24 EST

London Fashion Week looks set to lose Julien Macdonald, one of the few recognisable names remaining on a schedule already depleted by the departure of Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney, Matthew Williamson and Hussein Chalayan.

Backstage after his catwalk show, which closed London Fashion Week last night, Macdonald said he would "probably" show in Milan next season. "I don't want to, because I love London, but it's the best thing for my business. The other designers who came up around the same time as me, like McQueen and Williamson, moved out of London and I was the one who stayed. And now, they are all doing much better than I am. I sell to 100 stores, they sell to 200, and that's because so many of the buyers don't come to London Fashion Week."

Milan may seem the natural home for a designer long ago dubbed the Welsh Donatella. He is soon to leave his post at Givenchy and will be looking to beef up his own-name label. But Milan would hold its own challenges. In London, Macdonald is the king of glamour; in Milan, with Versace, Gucci and Roberto Cavalli to contend with, he would be merely a courtier. In London, he holds the end-of-schedule slot; in Milan, that honour is in the grip of Donatella Versace.

As always with Macdonald, it was the posh frocks that stood out. Daywear is awkward, because Macdonald's clothes are so sexually charged that even the trousersuits throb with sexuality. But by Macdonald's standards, this was a demure collection.

Most evening wear was knee-length, and his super-high skirt splits finished at a modest point. A cocktail dress in coffee had half-moon panels suggestive of the shape of a suspender belt, but the allusion was not overbearing.

The collection was the better for looking like a fashion show rather than the swimsuit round at Miss World. Sadly, London could be about to lose Macdonald at the very moment he progresses from porn chic to sensuality.